Ndombele has also been strongly linked with a summer move to Tottenham, with the Premier League outfit prioritising a move for the midfielder.

Aulas said: “He [Ndombele] is seeking a departure. Nothing is done but the door may be open.”

The Mirror’s report adds a £70m to Ndombele’s head, which is a lot to pay for a player who would then have to deal with playing in a much more difficult league than Ligue 1, the one he is most familiar with.

Then again, this is an international we’re talking about. A player with top-class attributes who would arguably add more to United’s midfield than our record signing Paul Pogba.

But United are also being linked with a move for Sporting Lisbon playmaker Bruno Fernandes, as per Manchester Evening News, and he is being touted as a replacement for Pogba too.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must find a way to add some substance to United’s midfield. Rather than just signing big names, this club needs players who will fight for the first. Some team chemistry wouldn’t go ashray.